1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method of manufacturing a fluorescent lamp, and, more particularly, to a method of manufacturing a surface emitting fluorescent lamp, which comprises forming a gas injection port for vacuum exhausting a discharge channel of the surface emitting fluorescent lamp and for injecting inert gas into the discharge channel on a side surface of the fluorescent lamp in the horizontal direction to communicate with the discharge channel.
2. Description of the Related Art
Surface emitting fluorescent lamps are widely used in backlight units for flat display diodes, such as liquid crystal displays. The surface emitting fluorescent lamps are generally manufactured by a method comprising forming a glass pipe having a predetermined shape via a high temperature process, coating a phosphor on the inner surface of the glass pipe, exhausting gas from the glass pipe to create a vacuum, and injecting inert gas into the glass pipe. Such a fluorescent lamp has various shapes, such as a straight type, a bent type, a flat type or the like, and typically has a gas injection port formed at one end of the fluorescent lamp for injecting the inert gas and vacuum exhausting.
FIG. 9 is a perspective view illustrating the construction of a conventional surface emitting fluorescent lamp 100. The conventional surface emitting fluorescent lamp 100 is manufactured by connecting a flat-shaped lamp bottom plate 114 to a lamp upper substrate 112. The lamp upper substrate 112 has a single discharge channel, which provides advantages of high brightness and high uniformity in brightness upon light emitting due to its serpentine shape.
The fluorescent lamp 100 has one or more gas injection ports 120, which are formed to an upper portion of the lamp upper substrate 112 in the vertical direction, and which are opened at ends of the injection port 120, so that inert gas is injected into a discharge channel through the end of each of the injection ports 120 after vacuum exhausting gas from the discharge channel therethrough.
FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a vertical cross-section of the center of the gas injection ports 120 shown in FIG. 9. As is seen from FIG. 10, an aperture is formed at each end of the gas injection port and the apertures communicate with the discharge channel of the lamp upper substrate 112. After vacuum exhausting and injecting the inert gas, the gas injection port is heated by a heater, and sealed from the outside.
However, since the conventional fluorescent lamp has the gas injection ports protruded upward, resulting in an increase in the total thickness of the fluorescent lamp, there is a problem of causing a difficulty in providing a light and compact backlight unit using such a conventional fluorescent lamp. Additionally, since vacuum exhausting the discharge channel and injecting the inert gas into the discharge channel must be performed above the fluorescent lamp, there are problems of occupying enlarged working space, and of lowering work efficiency.